Means for securing ships&#39; screw-propellers upon their shafts.



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JOHN WILLIAM EOWLER, OF AUOKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

MEANS FOR SECURING SHIPS" SCREW-PROPIELLERS UPONV THEIR SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,4 52, dated August 21, 1900.

Application filed December 26,1899. Serial No. 741.648. (No model.)

j for securing a ships screw-propeller upon its shaft, and according thereto the tail end of the propeller-shaft is made hollow, and keys at right angles to the shaft and sliding in slots formed therein are operable to project beyond the shaft into holes formed for their reception in the boss of the propeller. The keys are provided with rack-teeth formed upon them engaged by a pinion upon a spindie within the propeller-shaft, said spindle being turnable by a box-Spanner, whereby the keys are projected from or drawn into the shaft, as may be desired.'

I will further describe my invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section; and Fig. 2, a section on 2 2, Fig. l.

The propeller-shaft a is hollow, the end b being closed. Keys c, fitting within a slot d cut through the shaft at right angles toits aXis, are arranged to project from the shaft in opposite directions into recesses e, formed for their reception in the boss f of the propeller. The keys have tailpieces g,upon which are formed rack-teeth, and a pinion h gears with the teeth upon both keys and operates them simultaneously. Pinion h is fixed upon a spindle c', passing through a bush 7c, and a collar Z upon the spindle fits within a recess m in the bush and has a projecting pin n, which fits into any one of aplurality of holes o formed in the bush at the back of the recess m. A spring p, surrounding the spindle, fits within a recess q in bush 7c and bearing against the back of the recess at one end and against a sleeve r upon the spindle at the other tends to slide the spindle laterally and to bring pin n on collar Z into one of the holes o. An adjusting-nut s and lock-nut t permit adjustment of the degree of compression of springp, and a collar/Lt upon the end of spindle t' limits the movement of said spindle in one direction. A feather o, projecting from the face of bush 7c, as shown in Fig. 2, engages be tween the tailpieces g of the keys c and makes it impossible for the bush to revolve within the hollow shaft. Holes w through the boss of the propeller permit escape of water from the recesses e, so that the keys may pass into them. These holes may be filled with tallow or some similar material which will squeeze out as the keys are projected.

In operation when it is desired to remove the propeller the shaft-couplin g is unscrewed to permit a box-Spanner to be passed into the hollow end of the shaft to engage upon the sided end of the spindle 't'. Spindle 1l is then pushed outwardly to disengage pin n.

from the bush 7c, when the spindle may be revolved and the bolts operated.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. The combination of a hollow propellershaft having a radial slot, a propeller-boss fitting on said shaft and having recesses to register with the slot, a key sliding radially in the slot having an inwardly-projecting tailpiece provided with rack teeth, and a spindle within the hollow shaft having a pinion engaging with the teeth, whereby the key may be projected into the recess in the boss to lock the same on the shaft, or may be withdrawn therefrom.

l 2. The combination of the hollow propellershaft a having radial slots d, keys c slidable radially in said slots, propeller-boss f having recesses e registering with said slots el, rackformed tailpieces g on the keys, pinion h on spindle c' gearing with said racks, a bush 7c in which the spindle has its bearings` and is capable of sliding longitudinally, a 1ockingcollar Zhaving a projecting pin engaging with holes in the sleeve, and a spring p pressing the spindle endwise in locking engagement with the sleeve, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the radially-slotted hollow shaft a, recessed boss f fitting thereon, radially-slidable keys c having inwardly-pro jecting racks g, rotatable and longitudinally slidable spindle c' having pinion h meshing IOO with said racksi means for looking the spintrieb of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zeal dlilagainst r'tatin When p ressed longitutilliland, Joliis 1st day of September, 1899. na y 1n one uee lon, a springp presslng e spindle endwise into locked position, and a JOHN WILLAM FOX'VLER' 5 sleeveqa and nut son the spindle to receive and Vitnesses:

regulate the spring-pressure as explained. G. M. NEWTON, l

Signed at Auckland, in the provincial dis- E. W. ALISON, Jr. 

